Join us for the fun, fabulous auction at the Cape Cod Cultural Center on Old Main Street, South Yarmouth this Sunday, November 23rd. Preview begins at 12 and the auction starts at 4:30.

Here’s the Press Release:
West Bay Estate Sales presents
A Fantastic, Fun, and Fabulous Auction of Treasures Small and Great

For the past year, Lisa Nickerson and Gail Albertini of West Bay Estate Sales has been setting aside special treasures for an auction that will draw people interested in high quality art, antiques, jewelry, collectibles, and other fine items. This auction will take place at the Cultural Center of Cape Cod on Sunday, November 23. The preview, with complimentary refreshments and a chance to view the exhibits in all four galleries, will run from noon to 4pm, after which the auction will begin, ending at approximately 5:30pm. There is no admission fee, though donations to benefit the Cultural Center are welcome. The Center is located at 307 Old Main St., South Yarmouth.

“As a poet,” Nickerson says, “and as a person who loves art and wants to be more supportive of the arts community, I decided there was no better place to hold the auction than at the Cultural Center of Cape Cod. We will therefore donate a portion of all proceeds to help the Center complete its wonderful new Education Wing.”

Nickerson’s enthusiasm about the range and quality of items up for bid is palpable. “I think of this as a two-fold experience at which we offer up to 150 great items. Everything from Baccarat candelabras, Lalique glass, oriental rugs, a pair of Robert Venturi chairs, and Tiffany silver to vintage Lionel trains, teddy bears, paintings, and many other treasures. Everything from a $25 buy to quite a bit more. All levels of the spectrum. It will be a wonderful experience for serious bidders and for those who regard this as an exhibit of spectacular pieces where they might find something they simply can’t live without.”

The auction will also include several pieces that the Cultural Center has been saving for a special occasion to help raise funds for their new education wing.

The buyers’ fee is 10%, added to successful bids. Delivery will be available for a fee.

Absentee bidder forms will be available at the preview. Absentee bids can also be called in before the start of the auction.

3. 67 Caillouet – This gorgeous mid-century styled house is being torn down. We can sell windows, doors, trees, bushes, flagstone, counter tops, vanities, lighting, ceiling beams. Plus the very nice upscale furniture the new owner brought down from her Wellsley house to use this past summer!

We love new customers at our estate sales. It is so fun to interact with newbies to the “estate sale” circuit. Their wide-eyes and enthusiasm for the bargains available make our job fun week after week.

So as we enter the fall and busy season – we thought we’d put together a few hints to help people understand the culture of the estate sale.

1. If there is something you really want, something you have been searching for or really need, you should buy it. An estate sale is not like dealing with Bernie and Phyl’s – we don’t have a warehouse of neutral, slip covered sofas in our warehouse — so if you see one at a sale that fits your needs — don’t diddle, buy it. Chances are someone else will if you don’t.

2. Don’t put sold stickers on things you don’t intend to buy. We have a short period of time to sell our clients items and a sold sticker means just that — the item is no longer available to other shoppers. Also, don’t carry around small items of interest only to put them down after walking around for 1/2 hour.

3. Please do not “tell us” how much you are going to pay for an item. We feel we price very fairly and remember – we do not own the merchandise. Our customers have hired us to sell their items and we receive a small portion of the proceeds.

This is how we pay for our mortgage, college tuitions, groceries, etc. We’re sure you don’t try to get the cashier to lower the price of your eggs at the market!

We understand that many TV shows are promoting the art of negotiation at estate sales and there is a tactful way to ask, simply say “What is the best price you can do on the ….?” We will tell you honestly what the best price is and try to work out a deal. Do not continue to come back with lower offers – it will not win you estate sale friends.

If you feel you must low-ball an item, you should ask to leave a bid with our cashier. We review all bids and take them under consideration with our clients. If you do not hear from us, your bid was rejected. From time to time, our clients will make you a counter offer and you will have the opportunity to accept or reject the offer.

4. If you are purchasing large items, plan to either have help to remove the items from the house or plan to pay our movers to deliver the item to your home.

5. Come prepared with cash, checks or credit cards. We take all forms of payment but cannot hold items unpaid.

6. All Sales Are Final. Again, we are not a retail store with a return policy. So, measure, check colors, tip chairs over, check for sturdiness, check for rips, stains — talk to your wife if you need approval — once you buy it — we cannot take it back.

7. Please save your criticism (of anything) for once you exit the sale.

8. Join our mailing list at estatesales.net to be informed of where we are and what we are selling.

9. Don’t come 5 minutes before we are set to close and expect us to wait while you shop. It has been a long week of setting up and a long day or two of selling, we’re tired and want to get home to start all the work required in closing a sale!

10. We don’t get involved in knowing how much a house sold for. So when you ask and we say “we con’t know…” we aren’t trying to be secretive, we really don’t know. However, all real estate transactions are posting in the newspaper and you can easily do your own research.

Next time we’ll talk to folks hiring an estate sale company for the first time….

Over the past few years we have heard from clients, that some estate sale companies will only take an estate sale if they are guaranteed a fixed, up-front dollar amount or that the first “X amount of dollars” from the sale go directly to the estate sale company, and while we understand this “demand money” does help cover the cost of staffing & newspaper ads in a time when everyone is making less, we feel “taking money” from our clients before the sale has even started seems — well let’s just we do not want to do that.

Instead, West Bay now has a sliding scale fee schedule that works for everyone. Here is brief synopsis of how the new fee schedule works:

Example 1

Gross sales are estimated from $1,500 – $3,000 dollars

Most estate sale companies will not even consider a sale at this level this because the expenses to get the sale ready and run out value the proceeds under the “normal” 70/30 contract split. West Bay will run a professional sale for a 50/50 split at this level thereby helping the client get the house cleaned out, make some money and ready the house for real-estate transfer. No upfront or “guaranteed” money applies.

West Bay will still pay for all expenses except the cost for the final clean-out which will be provided to you at the conclusion of the sale and can be accepted or rejected.

Example 2

If the gross sales are estimated between $3,001 – $9,999 the sale will fall under the 60/40 split schedule and requires no up-front fee or “guaranteed deposit” money.

West Bay will still pay for all expenses except the cost for the final clean-out which will be provided to you at the conclusion of the sale and can be accepted or rejected.

Example 3

If the gross sales are estimated to exceed $10,000 the split is 70/30 and again requires no up front fee or “guaranteed deposit.”

West Bay will still pay for all expenses except the cost of the final clean-out which will be provided to you at the conclusion of the sale.

Example 4

Hoarders or Excessive Pre-sale Cleanout work

We also utilize the sliding scale for hoarder houses or any home that requires an excessive amount (over and above normal sale set-up) of pre-sale work. We review and make the determination on this factor in our free evaluation and home visit.

West Bay is always evolving in order to be viable in this close to the margin business. We want to be able to provide our services to all types of clients who need help transitioning to new phases in their lives.

As always, please feel free to call 508.287.6224 or 508.428.3377 with any questions or to set up a free in-home estate sale evaluation.

West Bay Antiques & Estate Sales is pleased to announce its membership in the Antiques & Collectibles National Association http://www.antiqueandcollectible.com/.

From their website:

The Antiques & Collectibles National Association was founded in 1991 by Jim & Yvonne Tucker, long time antique dealers who found there was no insurance or trade association available. Since then it has become the largest industry association with thousands of members in all 50 states to provide benefits to antique dealers and private collectors.

We are honored to be part of this network of antique dealers, collectors, estate sale business owners and other professionals in the antique/collectibles business.

Along with our annual membership, we purchased an insurance policy that covers estate sales wherever we hold them and includes:

We hope we never have to “use” this insurance policy but having it should provide our potential and current estate sale clients with that extra added comfort of having West Bay handle their estate sales.